Keep in mind that one of Oreck's selling points is that it is a "light weight" upright vacuum. So, don't expect it to perform like a super monster big vac. You must have common sense when using any vacuum cleaner. Although most vacuum cleaners can handle small tacks and nails most people know that it is not wise to run any vacuum over such objects. As a light weight upright The Oreck XL upright is more ideal for senior citizens or those who find using larger vacs more cumbersome. But, if you expect it to pick up everything in it's path without any problem you are unrealistic. No matter how big or strong any vacuum is a smart house keeper will pick up nails, tacks, hard objects and pieces of paper which might clog or damage a vacuum. If something gets jamed in the Oreck's intake or if you know the belt is slipping or burning turn the vacuum off immediately and dislodge the stuck object. That is common sense.

The Oreck upright will do a good job cleaning most carpets and floors but if you use it on a wet surface or a carpet that has been shampooed and has not fully dried you might get a gumming up or dirtying of the bottom plate on the Oreck upright which will make it difficult to push. The same is true of Other vacuum cleaners.

The Oreck is a good light weight upright vacuum for it's price range but you must use it with common sense and is best for people who are what I call vacuum cleaner savvy. It may be more clog prone than most other uprights but if you pick up as you vacuum and don't try to push limits with it you might find it to be a good value for the money and last you a long time.

The Oreck portable canister is another matter. It's small dust bag does not have much dust capacity and it's performance leaves a lot to be desired but the Oreck Upright is fine for people who want a lightweight upright and know how to properly use and care for a vacuum. It's not great but it is good.

Sadly enough, I was contemplating purchasing an Oreck XL, but after reading the reviews, I decided not to.

Our first ORECK was like a sherman tank had it 9 yeard did little but replace brushes and belts. Endorsed them it was a great sweeper.
 
The replacement XL extended ran 3 months bag fell off cover filthy the franshise dealer would not honor the warranty said we has pet urine in the sweeper , was to order a replacement bag under warranty $50.00 what a conidence the replacement bag is $50 same as the cleaning. When I said I would never buy another one what happened to ORECK of old said that is gone new oreck. And if there is any urine in the loaner sweeper you will pay $50.00 also.
Please don't throw your money away as I did. Buy a inexpensive sweeper and if it fails pitch it and start over I wasted $500.00 and have a worthless warranty plus embarsement from a bunch of money grabing snobs.
Not the same company of old.

My first Oreck I was soo impressed I have bought a higher up Oreck. I have 12 cats and two dogs in doors. So I needed the best. I was put off at first by some of the reviews but I took upon my self to go into an Oreck dealer and talk about them the first time. They have a good return policy. I think the complaints are coming from people who are entirely abusive to them...I should know having cats and dogs and being satisified. I found out that Oreck dealers are franchised so that may also be why some have poor customer service. Do not be scared! Oreck has always been polite and available to answer my questions or concerns. I am sure there are pushing vac salesman out there...but here locally Oreck is very laid back and seems to be happy just to have you stop in and say hi!

It cleans pet hair ok. That's all the good I have to say about it. It's fragile and the warranty doesn't cover anything. You must look for little things like kids toys, paper clips, etc. or you will regret it.

Clogs easily and must be taken apart to unclog it. Avoid it!!!

My family has had our Oreck XL for about 7 years. We've never had a problem with it except when the rod began to detach from the bag piece on about year 4. We stuck a metal "zip tie" looking thing to it and it was good to go. This year the bag broke off of the rod and it is now tied to the vaccuum with a shoe string. ha! I have to say, this vaccuum has been used every day for the past 7 years. My mom owns a home day care. It has been reliable, but things age with time.

I own an XL which has a warranty for 21 years (I paid over $600.00!). The problem is the local dealer where I purchased it went out of business. In order to have routine maintenance (which is required in order to maintain the warranty valid) or service, I must drive 1 hour one way or I can mail the vacuum to Oreck. I think that Oreck should have authorized service dealers especially when there are no Oreck dealers in a particular area. NOT WORTH THE MONEY.

I don't have an Oreck because it was never delivered. When I called to request one be sent at the honored price, and after an hour of speaking with customer service, they agreed to honor the price, but transferred my call to their sales division, which didn't honor the arrangement, but RAISED the price. I asked for them to review and play the recorded phone call honoring the original price, but they said that it might take many weeks to do so. Asking for a supervisor again, they transferred me to someone who asked proof of the original pricing. I FAX'd a copy to him, followed up with a phone call, but I never heard back. Something is very wrong when one supervisor in sales does not honor the decision of another supervisor in customer service. I have written a formal letter to Dave Oreck about this "bait and switch" sales strategy, but given other reports from consumers, I'm not holding my breath, even with documentation.

I do not even own one and I was able to post a review...Hum? What does that say for all of the other reviews I have been reading in my quest for a vacuum.

What a piece of expensive junk. Have spent over 140. on parts in 3 years and thats doing the repairs myself. NEVER purchase this vac or even think of any Oreck product unless you want to have a personal relationship with the Oreck store every 3 months for repairs. Can you imagine a fan blade or housing needing replacement well read on and you will see how often it needs to be done and belts mmmmmm at 3.00 each every 3-5 hrs of use. Stay away from this product

My mother insisted on purchasing an Oreck XL2 a few years back. What a disaster!! It sits so low to the floor that you can't push it with ease. The bags leak at the top and the bag system is difficult to replace. They sell a lift kit--10.50 which should be free--so I'll see if that helps. It is also way, way too expensive!! In the meantime, check out the Eureka Envio Bagless at Walmart for 75.00!! Yes, you have to clean the HEPA filter and collector once a week but it is well worth the time!! It is not lightweight but pushes with ease. This by far the best vacuum I have ever owned and I'm a fussy house cleaner!!

I have had my oreck xl for about 7 years. The only thing I like about it is that it is very light weight. When it was new I immediately missed having a hose that pops out to get nooks & crannies. The suction is good on basic carpet dirt, but just don't pick up anything much larger than a cherrio because you might get a major clog. It's suction strength is in the narrow-ness of the opening! Reaching under a piece of furniture and catching a cat toy or small child's sock means a trip to the Oreck store for a repair. I've wanted a new machine for a long time but just haven't been able to justify it since I paid a lot for this vacuum cleaner. When I do go in for service, the Oreck people act like this is the Rolls Royce of vacuum cleaners, and that I must be crazy to by dissatisfied.

Finally, my husband vacuumed up some dog vomit recently and I can't get rid of the smell, even with new bags and lots of baking soda. I thanked him because now I can go buy a new machine.

We've had our Oreck nearly seven years, and experienced several of the problems which have been the basis of negative reviews. The machine does not move well on any kind of rug - we had it in to the Oreck shop to look at and nothing improved though we did pay a considerable amount of money to have them tell us that we could help improve its ability to run: wash off the silver metal bar and apply some floor polish. It works for about a week and then we have to start using great amounts of energy to push it. I will not ever get another Oreck. It could be a good machine, I guess. I think hotels buy it because - well, to be honest, I can't think of any reason any hotel (except the Bates Motel) might purchase it.

I don't like the Oreck AT ALL! Do not buy this unless you want hassle and frustration. I regret buying it every time I use it!

I love my Oreck, I have had it since Feb 06' never had to take it in to the shop, I change the bags every month, belts changed every 3 months, and I only do that as preventive maintenance. I also just replaced the brush too for no reason. I have a 3 year old and a 11 month old, the amount of cherrios I have vacuumed up would be at least 12 boxes full in the lifetime of this machine. I don't know what you all are vacuuming up, but my advice would be to not vacuum up nails, change, anything other then a bare floor. I once vacuumed up a piece of paper and it got stuck in the opening of the vacuum, I had to take apart my Oreck and fish it out. It's a vacuum people just make sure you aren't trying to vacuum up things that you can pick up with your hands.

I recommend Oreck to EVERYone.

No problems with ours had it five years service it regular and works fine. No belt smelling. It could be the service center not doing thier job like our service center. They go over the entire vacum, replace worn beater bar etc. you can tell the difference. Our vacuum is a Hepa-cellac

I have purchased 2 Oreck uprights in the past 13 years, the latest 3 years ago. I have been somewhat dissappointed due to the motor fan breaking(made of hard plastic)then the bottom plate cracking after first losing the "squeegie". The bottom plate alone is around $60!!! I just feel that for the amount I paid for my vacuum cleaner, these things shouldn't happen after only 3 years of ownership. Also the hose on my cannister vac cracks so easily--rendering it useless! I also have had the belt-burning experience. It just seems that the quality for the price is NOT there.

Today is it for me, I'm chucking the Oreck XL21 I've had for six years. It's been a constant battle. It stinks, and every year when I take it in for it's tune-up it costs me another hundred bucks. I could have bought a new, cheap vacuum every two years and been better off. The rollers quit working within a couple of hours use each year after the tune-up. The frustration is just too much, and they don't care at all about customer service. They see no problem with selling this vacuum by telling you it will cost you very little for the next 20 years, and then turning around and charging you a hundred bucks for their poor design! INCREDIBLY Irritating!

I also have an Oreck XL that had to be taken in their shop within a year, under warranty. They replaced the brush and said they didn't know what was wrong, but it's working ok now, which it did. Now I'm in the second year and have the burning smell mentioned, coming from the unit. It appears the belt is sliding on the end of the roller brush where it attaches to the brush. After reading the other complaints mentioned, I have to believe that if I took it in for repair, it would only run well for a short time. Along with the burning smell, the unit isn't picking up like it did before. I am hesitant to take it in for repair after reading all the negative reviews. Today, I took out the Hoover Wind Tunnel which is very heavy and it cleaned up much embedded dirt the Oreck did not. Although it was cumbersome to use because of its weight, it did a good job. And the difference between using a vac with a headlight and one without can't be compared. The light showed all the areas that needed to be cleaned. I was also relieved by an on/off button on the handle rather than the Oreck step-on switch. I'm trying to figure out what to do, maybe I will get the Oreck fixed and use it only on the stairs since it is lightweight and appropriate for steps.

The Oreck XL Ultra is a great vacuum! The best I have ever seen or used in fact! It is light in weight and it is easy to use anywhere in the house! Other vacuums I would have to run over an area multiple times where the XL Ultra picks the dirt on the first try!

I have had the Oreck XL for 12 years, and I use it twice a week in a 2,200 sq ft house in every room. In 12 years, I have spent 108 dollars in maintenance on this vacuum. I replaced the belt twice, I've replaced the beater brush twice, and I had to put a new fan in the unit a couple of weeks ago. Mine was so old that it had the cast aluminum fan which is no longer available. The reason I had to replace the fan is I let my son use it and he vacuumed his garage with it. He said it even picked up the nails. When I got the Oreck back, it had lost most of its suction. $54 for a new fan, belt and brush, and like new again. I can't believe all the people that write about belts burning out every week and so on. I still have my original belt in the spare belt holder under the vacuum. I keep it just in case I do need a spare. If you have any common sense at all, you turn the vacuum off immediately if you start slipping the belt. I have only done this when vacuuming a throw rug and had the corner of the rug get sucked into the beater brush and stall it. Every now and then, my tube will plug up right where it attaches to the bag, but this usually only happens when the carpet is damp, and there is a lot of extra carpet on the floor from using the carpet cleaner. You unzip the cloth bag, pull the replaceable bag off the tube, pull the clog out with your finger, and stuff it in the replaceable bag, and reattach the bag. Now zip the cloth bag and you're done. Takes about 30 seconds, and Ive had to do it about 10 times in 12 years. I liked my Oreck so much, that I just purchased the XL 21. A friend of mine bought the Dyson Animal and brought it to my house to show me how great it was. I had a full bag in my Oreck and vacuumed a section of carpet. He went over the same section with his Dyson, and it picked up very little. (But enough to make me skeptical of my Oreck for a spell.) I replaced the bag in my Oreck, which was well above the full line, and I had him vacuum a different section of the carpet after he emptied his Dyson. I vacuumed the same section with the new bag, and he took his Dyson back and now owns an Oreck XL. I wish I would have had the XL 21 at the time.

Our Oreck XL is 8 years old and now it needs a new motor. I have only replaced the belt once. It doesn't clean as well as our newer Hoover but it's so much lighter it's worth making a couple of extra passes. We have a 2 story house and my wife wouldn't have been able to carry a heavier machine up and down the stairs.

I agree with the negative feedback in this forum. I repair vacuums and i recently repaired my grandmothers. I took it apart and it literally has a motor that a regular canister vacuum has for the power head. VERY SMALL, this motor supplies the suction, and turns the beater bar as well which makes the motor perform alot less than when not under load. the materials that are used would amount to about a $25.00 vacuum... They are built cheep just like dyson. Anyone who would pay 700 bucks for one deserves to be slapped in the face. i wouldnt buy one used at a thrift store for 50 cents. If you are in the market for a good vacuum take it from a expert. I am in no way affiliated with these companies either this is my personal experience. My first choice is a Filter Queen, they have tons of suction, and do a very good job grooming the carpet. and after a few months of using it you will not have to empty it as often. they really do get carpet clean. my second choice is a miele. they are good and have good suction but they do have a drawback of expensive cloth bags, and you have to pay extra for one with a motorized power nozzle. but it works pretty good. not as good as filter queen but works good. I would never buy a kirby either, they are heavy, bulky and do not clean well. They groom carpet pretty decent but that is it. plus with any vacuum that the dirt has to travel through the fan you have problems. it chips the fan blades and causes expensive repairs in the future. canister vacuums do not have this problem as all motor components are in their own seperate protected compartments... I hope my listing has shed some light on your choice. Do not make a bad one, vacuums are to make your life healthier not to make you sick all the time. filter queen and miele both register 0 on a micromiter. basically they are trapping dirt and dust down to .01 micron in size. you cannot get much better than that guys... even a hepa filter only gets down to .03 microns in size...

I had bought an oreck xl about 6 months ago. I am now trying to sell it on ebay. It works ok until the belt burns out (about every month). The tube also clogs up with carpet from my new semi-shag carpet. It is very loud to use, the loudest vacuum I have ever owned. I would not recommend oreck. I have tried to get some satisifaction from oreck.com, but they do not help if you have purchased your vacuum at a private store. They won't even take it in for a trade for the higher end model! Sounds like nobody wants these vacuums.

Most of the household labor saving devices my wife comes home with are crap. The one exception is the Oreck XL! We have a large yellow lab, and have had no problems dealing with her hair with the Oreck. Amazingly light and powerful - just as advertised. Our cleaning people use this as well - so it doesn't get babied I can assure you. Has held up beautifully for years. I rate it well above the Kirby I got my first wife, which was way too heavy.  

UPDATE:  I don't disbelieve the negative posters regarding this vacuum, but their experience is diametrically opposed to my own.  Our Oreck is still going strong and I would rate it one of the absolute best household appliances we ever purchased.

Does not clean, does not pick up, clogs easily, smells terrible (burning smell)

We tried to resolve issues - here is the letter

May 18, 2007
Mr. David Oreck
5000 River Road
New Orleans, LA 70123

REF: refusal to stand behind manufactured product.

Aloha Mr. Oreck:

My wife and I are on our 2cnd Oreck Vacuum machine purchased here in Honolulu. The first one functioned pretty well and we had no real complaints. The second one, however, has been a problem from the start. When we first began using the machine it seemed very heavy and hard to push. We took it to the dealer and were told there was nothing wrong with it it must be our carpet. So we took it home and tried again. I called and questioned the dealer again and was told the carpet must have a high humidity and that is making the machine hard to push. So for nearly 2 years we have struggled with the light weight easy-to-use Oreck and felt more and more that we should have returned it right away. A few weeks ago we had the occasion to take the machine in to get a bag replacement and the technicians did something to the machine and when we brought it home it worked unbelievably well!
But, within 2 weeks it was back to the old push problems. Again we are told it is working properly. It appears that the unit is not functioning with the belt properly. The wooden roller has scorched and turned black on one end and the machine simply does not perform well at all.

I am aware that we did not purchase this machine from your factory. Instead we purchased it from your authorized dealer. Nowhere in your advertising do you advise clients to purchase from the factory in order to receive satisfactory customer service. But that is the latest reason given us for your representative refusing to make good on your product. I have attached the sequence of emails to date and am going to ask you a personal and very simple question. Do you really back your products with pride and confidence? Or is the satisfaction guarantee phrase a platitude to create easier sales? I find it hard to believe that a family proud company with the heritage you have in the community is willing to allow even one client clear over in Hawaii to conclude that Oreck cannot be counted on for integrity.

You will see from the email and the attached receipt that we simply want our money back. 2 years of struggle is enough. I wish the machine would work for us but am unwilling to undertake having a machine serviced every few weeks just to keep it operable. I await your response.


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never received a reply

Went to a filter Queen - the amount of dirt and dust it has now cleaned up is disgusting!

Sigh...We've had our Oreck XL for three months and have had it in for service three times already. Evidently there is some sort of design flaw whereas the belt gets torn up easily causing the motor to smoke (and stink!) I can't say I'm unhappy about the vacuum cleaner's performance when it actually works, but I'm starting to have minor anxiety attacks every time I turn it on because I'm afraid it will go on the fritz again!

Does what it was made to do. The original Oreck XL deluxes had two main flaws, the plate was designed with hardwood friendly rubber wheels that wore out quickly. Oreck has since addressed and replaced these plates on its newer vacuums. The Oreck XL Deluxe and Oreck XL2 Deluxe have interchangable parts and you can replace the bad plates. They run about $30. The original's second flaw was the power cord's tearing, but that isnt a big deal and can be avoided with careful wrapping. THe new Oreck also addresses this, and with some skill, you can replace the part. I have owned both an Xl Deluxe and an XL2 deluxe, they both have worked flawlessly with a lot of vacuuming, and I mean a lot. Our first one lasted 8 years with no repairs, it had a plate tune up, but that was it. We still use it for the basement, but it smells bad due to incessant dog hair vacuuming, and running it with a full bag, our fault. I've vacuumed screws and plastic all without flaw, people who complain about motor failing must be vacuuming up very large things. Like I said it vacuumed for years and not a single belt break. This is the case with the new and the old. The brush lasted too!!! It is built to last and the 8 year old one will live for many more years if I put a mite bt more money into it. Great vacuum, lightweight!! THe portable worked amazingly too, but after the long period our original one died, but we used it a lot, cut it a break.

I've had my Oreck for a few years. I was surprised to read the negative comments about this product.

I will say I've always used it on medium to low pile carpeting and tile. It consistently does a fantastic job and my carpets have always looked fresh and nearly new when finished--even a carpet in my former home that was 30 years old!

In my present home, I went through the trials of new carpeting--tuffs of carpet on the floor for about the first six months we lived here. I worried my Oreck might give out from all the strain. I frequently had to empty the bag, even taking it apart to get it clean of all the carpet fragments. But through it all, it held strong and works efficiently to this day.

I love that it is a simple and lightweight machine. There really isn't much to go wrong with it, but it is powerful, dependable, and lasts.

The hand-vac that came with it is also an amazing tool. It's a powerful little vac!

It cost a little more to get the Oreck than some other brands, but it's been worth it. I carry it up and down my stairs with ease, even vacuum the stairs with it at times with no problems.

I recently noticed some new vacuums in the stores today. Most of them look like robots--so bulky and it looks like their manufacturers are attempting to make them look impressive! If I was shopping for one of those, I'd be very confused as to what did what and how well it really did. Plus most of them looked complicated to use and made up a good bit of plastic.

Personally, I'm not impressed with "wind tunnels" or "special filters" or something that's going to take up a lot of space in my closet and/or break my back using it!

I'll stick with my Oreck. It gets the job done--from carpet to tile back to carpet again--I only need one tool! (And it LOOKS like a vacuum cleaner, not a robot. ;) )

I just purchased an Oreck XL with 2 speeds. I got it for half price with a coupon someone gave me. We have Berber carpet. So far so good. After reading all these ratings I'm surprised with all the negative ratings - why didn't you all bring the vacuum cleaners back if they were so bad? You can bring them back within 30 days if you don't like them. Why did you keep them?

I also bought the Orbitor for the floors.

I have two self-propelled Hoovers at home - neither one works - they were more than the Oreck. They are 2-3 times as heavy. I had a Dirt Devil for one year and it broke - got it replaced free of charge because the motor went out.

I have an old Hoover canister vac which is about 25 years old and still works but really does not have much suction. Our very expensive Kenmore canister started smoking after just 3 years. It finally died. Everything I buy from Sears dies. I was watching QVC one day and saw Mr. Oreck, so I figure I would give the Oreck a try. $299 for two vacums and a light. This machine is great. The first time I vacumed the house the entire bag filled up. The canister is great for dusting. You carry it on your shoulder. The upright is so light you can vacum your house in no time. The great thing is there are Oreck stores everywhere if you need repair. I see way maids use this vacum. It is so light. GREAT MACHINE

This is the worst vacuum in the world. Don't waste your money on it if you have long-hair pets or thick carpeting. My old clunky Hoover, circa mid-1980's, works much better than the Oreck and I've gone back to it. DON'T TRUST ALL THE ADVERTISING!

So far it seems to clean well. The only thing that is no the best is when on HIGH it is loud, but all i do is when in room is turn it to low and it is ok. I thing is add a PREFILTER so it catcher any flying hairs etc, and it will need less cleaning. MIKE

Another way overpriced and overrated product that relies on TV and magazine marketing lies to sell. Oreck is constantly being outperformed by much cheaper vacs you can buy at Target or Wal-Mart! Keep in mind, they charge so much for these because someone has to pay for all those national TV ads, no?

Yep! Belts wear out/break/burn after about 2 hours of use. When the belt is new (for about 20 minutes) the vacuum works fine. Surprising the company can't get this right.

I have had an oreck XL deluxe for 3 yrs and it's had a new motor,replaced 3 beater bars, and I lost track of the belts. I have been so unhappy.Also, I don't like having a separate canister vac for baseboards,though the canister is good.The service at the store has been great. But the vaccum is not able to be used in a house regularly.I even have a carpet rake to get up hair.

I agree with all the other negative opinions. I have owned it less than 1 year and have been to repair shop twice. It clogs all the time and in my opinion is nothing special as far as power etc... BAD CHOICE on my part.... Big waste of money.I've had $40.00 vacs in college that worked better.

Don't fall victim to the hype. Oreck vacuums are cheaply made pieces of junk. They are lightweight for a reason and it's not because they use any kind of special technology. They are just very cheaply made. If you buy one you can expect to change the belt frequently, have the dust bag fall up causing the outer bag to fill up with dirt, the tube will clog up with dirt, the handle will come losse, the switch will fail and the motor will burn out. The reason I know this is becasue I have had all of these experiences with my 5 year old Oreck. If you want a quality vac go somewhere else. A lot of advertising and hype does not make a good product, but it is expensive and that's what you paying for because I can assure you, the vacuum isn't worth the price.

Lightweight and useful for most vacuuming. However, it's does a terrible job of getting dog and cat hair out of carpet. It's also prone to eat it's cord. There is no safety breaker to stop the brush if it grabs something it shouldn't. Look elsewhere if you want a real quality vacuum that will last.

It's the best and lightest vacuum I've ever owned. It's clean, easy to use, and so far it hasn't broken down at all. It's probably best if you do only moderate but regular house cleaning. If you were using every single day, then I think you might experience more problems.

We listened to the ad hype and bought an Oreck XL 2 years ago-bad decision. It always needs a belt change. It doesn't pick up pet hair off our plush carpet. Doesn't vac close to the walls. We will soon surpass the cost of the vac in belt buying, and it's such a pain to get out those six screws and put the thing back together. We'e been had by an ad! I'm back to Sears cannisters!

We have owned this Oreck for about 6 years and have had it into the shop at least once a year. When it was working, it did a decent job and worked well on the wood floors. I wouldn't buy another though (in fact I'm reading these reviews because we're going to chuck the Oreck and buy something different!)

light weight-good suction. only problem parts seem to wear out quickly

Excellent lightweight vac, I would caution judging a vac by the "AMPS" this is just a power usage number and does not necessarily reflect the designed ability to efficiently produce suction. This vac is ideal for those with back issues. The little shoulder model is the greatest for the rest of the house.

definetly best when used on berber or very low piled carpet. has difficulties getting fuzz out of thick carpet

Unbelievable power for such a lightweight vacuum cleaner. I can lift it out of the closet with one hand (and I'm a 5'2" 60-year-old woman.) But my favorite thing about it is that you can sweep a carpet and keep on walking while you sweep a vinyl kitchen floor, even the ceramic tile floor in the bathroom without once having to stop and change a single setting on the Oreck, It will take care of all that for you.

The Oreck XL vacuum cleaner makes vacuuming easy. We had a Panasonic vacuum that was very heavy and clunky to use. The Oreck XL upright has made vacuuming an easy job. The vacuum is light enough to clean our stairs and is easy to navigate through the maze of furniture and other odds and ends around the house. We have two cats that like to leave small piles of hair everywhere. The vacuum does a great job of picking up the hair. The first bag took 3 months to fill to the point that it became heavy enough that it needed to be changed. The bags are large, but should be changed every month or two to keep mold from growing. After having the vacuum for 5 months, the belt is still holding up well. Oreck recommends changing the belt very 4 months. This depends on usage. I vacuum at least every other day. The Oreck XL uses a 4 amp high effeciency motor that uses 1/3 the engery of other vacuums. This is nice as a 12 amp vacuum uses 12 out of 15 amps on a standard household curcuit. The Oreck only uses 4 amps leaving 11 amps for other purposes. I did find it annoying when running a space heater during winter months and using the Panasonic vacuum, only to have the power go off. The Oreck's lower amps also means lower electic bills. The Oreck XL is a lightweight upright vacuum that makes vacuuming the carpet easy and a pleasant experience.

Does poor job picking up pet hair. Loses suction quickly(ie.before bag is half full)

I am one of the suckers who bought into the very persuasive Oreck advertising pitch. I was happy with it when I first got it but (get this) mostly because it was so light weight. That is a really stupid reason to like a vacuum. (yes, I realize I am refering to myself as stupid) Thanks to my husband who tried to vacuum a wet carpet with my Oreck...the motor froze up. I was very angry with him. He was not willing to pay for a new Oreck so he bought a Vision Dirt Devil instead. I was even more annoyed because I thought it couldn't possibly be worth anything since it was so inexpensive. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. The Dirt Devil is twice as powerful as the Oreck. Look at the amperage. This is something I didn't even think to consider. The Dirt Devil has 12 amps and the Oreck 6. I hope admitting my supidity will keep someone else from paying hundreds of dollars just to get a light-weight vacuum that truely is light-weight in every sense of the word. Don't do it! Get a Dirt Devil for around $40 at Sam's.

The upright is an OK machine. It's very easily damaged by any hard object it might pick up. It started out extremely quite but became very loud during the first year.I really liked the hand held unit that came with it! It's quite and powerful. Only wish it had more capacity.